Kwanzaa Day Two: Kujichagulia

Hello history lovers and welcome to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

 

Habari gani, I’m Robin the host and in-house historian at rememberinghistory.com.

 

I’m so glad that you’ve joined us for this great and groundbreaking show that will inspire YOU and your FAMILY with true stories, real experiences, practical lessons, cultural traditions, and fun celebrations—all inspired by African American history and culture. rememberinghistory.com or at this Wiki history podcast show. Remember boring stuff is NEVER allowed at the Wiki History podcast show so get ready for exciting stuff today—the second day of our Kwanzaa celebration.

 

So, I’ll bid you the traditional greeting of Kwanzaa in the Swahili language: Habari gani! If you’re just joining us, you’re very welcome but I would strongly urge you to listen to the introductory podcast show on Kwanzaa and the show about the first day of Kwanzaa called Umoja, which means unity.

 

We learned yesterday that unity (or umoja) is the foundational principle AND practice of the Kwanzaa celebration so it’s important to learn about unity. Listening to our podcast show will help so I really recommend it. If you have any questions, please contact us at rememberinghistory.com website or the Wiki History Podcast page on Facebook.

 

Definitely stay with us today but, when you get a chance, I think that you will learn a lot about what Kwanzaa is, who started it and why it was founded in 1966 and the importance of unity on which all the other principles are based. Always good to have background information. Knowledge is power.

 

Let’s prepare ourselves to begin.

 

Day 2: Kujichagulia (or self-determination)

 

Habari gani! Your response: Kujichagulia!

 

Let’s do it again: Habari gani! Kujichagulia!

 

Now please give me the Swahili greeting. (pause) Kujichagulia!

 

Yes, the second day of Kwanzaa is Kujichagulia! It means self-determination. But what is self-determination?

 

Dr. Karenga said self-determination is: To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

 

This is a particularly important concept for African Americans. But first let’s go a little more deeply into examining the principle.

 

Self-determination (I will use the English word) is both a commitment and a practice. It demands that we, as an African people, define, defend and develop ourselves instead of encouraging others to do this for us. It requires that we learn, accept and embody our history and culture and commit to shape our world in our own image. It is also a call to bring our own unique perspective to the world and speak its truth to the world.

 

Self-determination is a fundamental part* of freedom and of being a free people. For that reason, we also want the world to reflect our truth and perspective, our image AND our interest. Before we are able to reflect this to the world, we must as individuals, develop a strong sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance.

 

The great Franz Fanon (who wrote the groundbreaking book, The Wretched of the Earth), has said that each person must ask himself or herself three questions:

 

1. Who am I?
2. Am I really who I say I am?
3. Am I all that I ought to be?

 

Yes, those are not easy questions, but they are important even essential to self-awareness and self-acceptance as a prelude to self-determination. They are not simply questions of personal identity, but more profoundly, they are also questions of history and culture. They are questions of understanding and accepting a collective identity.

 

Returning to the three questions.

 

Who am I? To answer this question requires the individual to know and live one’s history and to practice one’s culture.

 

Am I really who I say I am? To answer this question requires the individual to have an employ a level of cultural authenticity, discerning between what is merely appearance and what is fundamental, what is culturally rooted and what is foreign.

 

 

Am I all that I ought to be? To answer this question requires the individual to use ethical and cultural standards to measure individuality and personhood. To examine the quality of one’s thought and practice in the context of who they are at this time and who they want to be now and in the future.

 

These are not easy questions or self-examinations but they are important exercises to attain a full level of self-realization. They are important for exercising your rights to freedom. Freedom is not free and self-examination is one cost of it.

 

For African Americans, this is particularly important because self-determination was denied to us in the United States. As enslaved persons, we were denied EVERY type of power or right to live as free persons and to pursue a self-determined path. That also involved the denial of our African history, language, and culture. After the end of slavery, African Americans were STILL denied this right and power. We were given labels rather than being allowed to name ourselves. We were denied a proper education, the right to vote, the right to own property, to travel, to marry whom we chose, and many other fundamental rights to determine and shape our lives and our future. That is why the celebration of Kwanzaa is so important as it helps us to remember and connect with our heritage. And Carter G. Woodson founded Black History month (today called African American history month) for the same reason. He said, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

 

But the commitment to self-determination was ALWAYS present in Black people even after we first landed in America. (This is not a surprise since this concept is an integral part of African cultures.) So, we fought for freedom. We have fought for equality. And we fought to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. (Dr. Karenga was right about that.) But the struggle continues. For rights and powers individually and collectively. Learning our history and culture is an important. Practicing our culture is important.

 

So that ends the discussion of self-determination (or kujichagulia—I felt the need to use the Swahili word, exercising my right to use my language of choice). Please remember to ask yourself: Who am I? Am I really who I say I am? Am I all that I ought to be? Ask yourself every day. And I strongly encourage you to read The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon. He was a true warrior for freedom and self-determination of the African people. His book is life-changing.

 

It is now time to light the red candle farthest to the left.

 

It is now time to hear a Kwanzaa story about self-determination.

 

The Three Tests

Once, long ago three tigers came to Africa. They went to the country of the animals and made this terrible announcement.

"From now on, this land will be ruled by the Tigers. We are, after all, the strongest, fastest and wisest of all animals. Therefore, we are the only fit rulers." they claimed.

A little mouse spoke up from the crowd, " But we have a council where we make our decisions together, we don't need or want any ruler."

One of the tigers let out a roar so loud and fierce that the poor mouse started running and didn't stop until he was in the land of the humans. To this day, he lives in the houses of humans. Her cousin, the field mouse misses her terribly.

The other animals didn't like the idea much either, but they looked at those tigers' big claws and sharp teeth and were afraid to speak. These tigers were even bigger than the lion.

"We will collect taxes and we'll also change the name of this country. From now on, this will be Tigerland and you will call yourselves servants of the tigers." they said.

Finally, Anansi spoke. "Great tigers, it is clear that you are strong, fast and wise, but just so that everyone will know for sure that you are stronger, faster and wiser than anyone else, let us have a contest." Anansi suggested.

The tigers liked the idea, so Anansi continued. "Let us prepare ourselves, then tomorrow we will choose someone to compete against each of you."

So the tigers left and the animals held a private meeting to discuss what to do.

The next morning, the animals were ready. The tigers came to the council circle. The strongest tiger spoke first. "Who will compete against me?" he asked.

"I will." said the tiny voice of the field mouse.

The tiger laughed until he cried. "This will not take long." he said.

"Who will race me?" roared the swiftest tiger.

"I will." said the tortoise.

"This is no contest at all!" shouted the tigers.

Hare told the third tiger, " I must bring you to the home of the owl. She is the wisest of all creatures."

"We will see," said the tiger.

First was the contest of strength. The field mouse brought the tiger to a large clearing.

They each stood at one edge of the clearing with one end of a rope. Between them was placed hundreds of big thorn bushes. When she gave a signal of two short tugs on the rope, the tiger was to start pulling. The loser would get dragged across the thorns.

The tiger laughed at the little mouse and said that he was ready. She gave the signal, and the tiger began to pull. What he didn't know was that behind the field mouse, standing in the forest was a great bull elephant holding onto the rope. So while the tiger pulled on one end, the elephant pulled on the other. The tiger got dragged all the way through the thorn bushes yelling, " Ouch! OOOCH! Ouch! Ouch!" all the way.

"If this is how strong the mice are, I would hate to see what the other animals can do!" he shouted. 

Next was the race. The tortoise brought the fastest tiger to a five-mile stretch of road in the forest. At each mile marker, one of tortoise's cousins was hiding. (To the tiger they would all look alike.)

When the race began, Tiger went zooming away, leaving the tortoise in his dust. As he was coming to the first mile marker, the tiger was laughing to himself. "How could a tortoise think he could outrun me?" he said.

Just then, Tortoise came out from his hiding place behind the mile marker.

"What took you so long, Mr. Tiger?" he asked politely.

Tiger was shocked. "How did you get here so fast?!" he screamed.

Tortoise didn't answer. He just slowly plodded off toward the next marker. The tiger zoomed past him and ran at top speed to the second mile-marker, only to find Tortoise sitting there waiting.

"I really thought tigers were faster than this." he said, sounding very disappointed.

"I'll beat you yet!" shouted the tiger as he sped to the next marker. At this third marker, Tortoise was sitting down playing a game of Mankala with Anansi and laughing about how easy the race was. Tiger couldn't believe his eyes.

At the fourth marker, Tortoise was asleep, snoring loudly. Tiger sped by him so fast that he left the tortoise spinning like a top.

Finally, tiger was racing toward the finish line. Tortoise was nowhere in sight. Tiger was running at full speed. Nothing could stop him now. Yet, as he got closer to the line, he noticed a little round thing sitting there. It must be a rock he told himself. But as he got closer, he saw that little head and those four little legs and he knew. Tortoise was already there!

"It's impossible!" he screamed. But no matter how much he screamed, it didn't change the fact that Tortoise had won the race. 

Now the hare was bringing the third tiger to the home of the wise old owl. But the hare kept complaining of stomach pains and said that he couldn't walk very well.

"Can't you get someone else to show me the way?" said the tiger angrily.

"I'm the only one who knows the way," whispered Hare, "It's a secret."

Tiger was irritated. " Then you'll just have to ride on my back," he said.

They rode on for a little while, but the hare kept letting himself slide off the tiger's back, so they weren't making much progress.

"If you bring me to my house, I can get my saddle." Hare suggested, "That way, I won't slip off." So the tiger brought the hare home and let Hare put a saddle on him.

"And if you let me use these reins," Hare continued, "I can steer you left or right without talking so much. I have a sore throat you know."

Tiger agreed. Then the hare went into his house and came out wearing spurs and carrying a whip.

"Wait a minute!" said Tiger, "What's all that for?!"

"Oh I just wear these spurs for show." Hare said. " And the whip is so I can keep the flies off you while you're giving me a ride."

"Okay," said the tiger, "But be careful."

So they rode on, but not to the owl's home. They went right to the council circle. All the other animals were gathered there. When Hare came in sight of the other animals, he dug his spurs into the tiger's sides and snapped that whip against the tiger's backside and yelled "GITTY UP HORSEY!"

That tiger went jumping and howling through the crowd looking about as foolish as a fool can look. All the animals laughed and laughed. The other tigers were so embarrassed that they pleaded with the hare to stop.

The hare got off the tiger's back and took his saddle and reins. Those tigers agreed never to come back to Africa again. That's why, to this day, there are no tigers in the forests of Africa.

And everyone got along fine in the land of animals with everyone as equals, no kings, no queens, no rulers. The End.

 

 

 

If you like, you can discuss this story and what it meant to you. No pressure or demands. This is a time of sharing for those who wish to share. And a time of listening for those who prefer to listen.

Now let’s fill and pass the unity cup (kikomba cha umoja). Everyone take a sip.

Pause and reflect on the concept of kujichagulia (self determination) for a moment. Perhaps consider the three questions: who am I? Am I really who I say I am? Am I all that I ought to be?

Then blow out the candle.

This concludes Day 2 of the Kwanzaa celebration.

I just want to thank Eshu Bumpus for providing this story about self-determination. This story was written by Eshu who is an accomplished storyteller and expert on Kwanzaa. You might know that storytelling has strong roots in African culture as a method of teaching and transforming as well as entertainment. Eshu has a website called www.folktales.net. I am so grateful that he has agreed to allow us to present his stories on this Wiki history podcast.

Thank you for participating in Day 2 of Kwanzaa with us. Remember to visit us on our Facebook page called Wiki History if you need more information or want to share your Kwanzaa experiences with us.

We hope to see you tomorrow at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. Kwanzaa yenu iwe na heri. (Kwanzaa YEH-Noo ee-wah nah heh-REE). Happy Kwanzaa!